Protective assembly for a limb

ABSTRACT

A protective assembly for a limb, in particular the shaft-forming part of a motorcycle boot, which is designed to protect the tibia of the motorcyclist. The inventive assembly includes: an essentially tubular body ( 2 ) including a slit, which extends along a longitudinal axis ( 6 ) and which is designed to fit around the limb; a rigid tongue ( 10 ) which is designed to cover the front part of the body and which extends along both sides of the slit; and a flange ( 12 ) which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction between the edges of the slit, the flange being adjustably-connected to the body on either side of the slit so that the distance between the edges can be adjusted. The aforementioned tongue is mounted to the flange such that it can slide freely and the tongue and the body co-operate in order automatically to align the tongue in relation to the slit.

This is a 371 National Stage application of International applicationno. PCT/FR2003/01836, filed Jun. 17, 2003, which claims priority toFrench application no. 02/07635, filed Jun. 20, 2002. The entirecontents of the above-referenced applications are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety.

The invention relates to a limb protection assembly, in particular aportion which forms an upper of a motorcycle boot which is intended toprotect the tibia of a motorcyclist.

For reasons of simplification, reference will be made in the followingtext only to this application, although the invention may also be usedto protect the forearm of an alpine skier against impacts with posts orthe like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Protections are known of the type comprising:

-   -   a substantially tubular body which extends in a longitudinal        direction and which is intended to be adjusted around said limb        and which has an aperture which extends in the longitudinal        direction,    -   a rigid tongue which is intended to cover a front portion of the        body which extends at one side and the other of said aperture,    -   a strap which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction        between the edges of the aperture, said strap being connected to        the body at one side and the other of the aperture in an        adjustable manner in order to adjust the spacing between the        edges of the aperture.

In order to adapt to the various morphologies of the users, the geometryof the boot must be adaptable with a relatively large adjustment range.Of course it is desirable for maximum protection to be provided for allusers. Furthermore, for reasons of weight, ease of use and price, theassembly must be relatively simple.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Since the solutions from the prior art have hardly been satisfactorywith regard to all these various points, the invention proposes that thetongue is carried by the strap on which it is mounted so as to slidefreely and that the tongue and the body co-operate together in order toautomatically centre the tongue relative to the aperture.

In this manner, the protection tongues are not displaced towards theinner side (towards each other) when the user has a large calf, nortowards the outer side in the opposite case. Effective protection istherefore provided, independently of the morphological characteristicsof the user. Furthermore, this solution is simple and thereforeinexpensive and light and does not require any particular care from theuser when the boot is tightened.

According to another advantageous feature of the invention, the assemblyfurther comprises locking means which have an inactive position in whichthey allow the tongue to slide freely on the strap and an activeposition in which they act counter to said sliding, and the lockingmeans are placed in an active position when the tongue is pressedagainst said front zone.

The assembly is thus always easy to use, but the protection tongue alsoeffectively remains in position, even in the case of a violent impact.

Advantageously, the locking means comprise:

-   -   grooves which are provided in the strap,    -   a catch having a shape which complements that of the grooves        provided in the strap in order to engage therein, said catch        resiliently assuming an inactive position in the absence of any        external force and forming a protrusion relative to said tongue        in the direction of said front zone when it is in said inactive        position.

This solution is simple to use and is inexpensive to produce,particularly if the catch is produced by moulding with the tongue.

In order to automatically centre the tongue relative to the aperture,the invention proposes that:

-   -   said front portion has a non-circular cross-section, and    -   said tongue has a cross-sectional shape which complements that        of the front portion.

It is thus not necessary to provide a complex mechanism in order toproduce a centering of the tongue on the front portion of the body.

Advantageously, said front zone has a substantially paraboliccross-section.

This shape is particularly suitable for producing effective centeringand it is also relatively similar to the shape of the tibia and theforearm.

In order to easily produce a strong tongue into which the strap extendsfreely, according to the invention, the tongue comprises two plasticscomponents which are assembled together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be appreciated even more clearly from the followingdescription, given with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a motorcycle boot according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a cross-section along line II-II in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view of only the tongue and the straps, sectioned along lineIII-III in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a motorcycle boot 1 which comprises a body 2intended to receive the leg of a motorcyclist and which is articulatedrelative to a base portion 4 which is intended to receive the foot ofthe motorcyclist.

The body 2 is defined by means of a substantially tubular rigid shellwhich extends in a longitudinal direction 6. This body 2 has an aperture8 which extends in the longitudinal direction 6 over at least the mainpart of the length of the body 2.

The boot 1 further comprises a rigid protection tongue 10 which alsoextends in the longitudinal direction 6 and which covers the aperture 8.This tongue is carried by two straps 12 (an upper and lower strap) whichextend transversely to the longitudinal direction 6 and which extendthrough the tongue 10 whilst allowing the tongue to slide freely on thestraps 12.

Each of these straps 12 is connected, at a first end 12 a, to the body 2by means of a locking lever 14 (which also serves to unlock) and has, ata second end 12 b which is opposite the first end 12 a, notches 16 whichco-operate with a fastening catch 18.

The fastening levers 14 and the fastening catches 18 are arranged at oneside and the other of the aperture 8 and are connected to each other bymeans of the straps 12. The various notches 16 of the straps allow thewidth of the aperture 8 to be adjusted, that is to say, the distancebetween the edges 8 a and 8 b of the aperture, by varying the distancebetween the fastening levers 14 and the fastening catches 18.

The tongues 10 are received by a front portion 22 of the body 2 whichextends at one side and the other of the aperture 8. This front portion22 has a substantially parabolic cross-section which corresponds to theshape of the calf of a user in the tibial region.

The tongues 10 have a cross-section which complements the shape of thefront portion 22 on which they are pressed when the boot is tightenedusing the notches 16, the fastening catches 18 and the fastening levers14.

Owing to this complementary shape and the characteristics of theparabolic shape, that is to say, non-circular, with a continuallyincreasing radius of curvature of the edges 8 a, 8 b of the aperturetowards the transverse ends 22 a, 22 b of the front portion 22, and thefree sliding of the tongue 10 on the straps 12, the tongue 10 isautomatically centred on the front portion 22 and on the aperture 8.

The assembly further comprises means for locking the tongue in thecentred position. These means comprise grooves which form teeth 24 whichare arranged on the straps 12 and a locking catch 26 which has acomplementary shape and which is connected to the tongue 10. Thislocking catch 26 is resiliently deformable between an inactive positionillustrated in FIG. 3, in which the catch is remote from the teeth 24,and an active position in which the catch engages in the teeth 24 inorder to prevent the tongue 10 from sliding relative to the straps 12.

In the absence of any external action, the locking catch 26 ispositioned in the inactive position and forms a protrusion on the tonguein the direction of the front portion 22.

When the straps 12 are tightened, the tongue 10 is pressed against asurface of the front portion 22 which then comes into contact with thelocking catch 26, thus bringing it into an active position.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the tongue 10 comprises two plasticscomponents 10 a, 10 b which are assembled together, in this instance, bymeans of clipping. They are connected by means of ribs 28 and togetherdefine spaces, including two passages 20 intended for receiving thestraps 12 which carry the tongue.

The locking catch 26 is produced by moulding with the tongue and moreprecisely in this instance with the plastics component 10 a.

Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiment whichhas been described above by way of non-limiting example. It would thusbe possible to replace the rigid body 2 with a flexible sleeve, forexample, to protect the forearm.

1. A protective boot assembly for protecting a foot and leg comprising:a substantially tubular body (2) extending in a longitudinal direction(6) to be adjusted around said limb, a front portion of the tubular bodyhaving an aperture (8) extending in the longitudinal direction, theaperture having a first edge on a first side of the aperture and asecond edge on a second side of the aperture opposite the first side toform a spacing between the first and second edges; a rigid tongue (10)extending from the first side to the second of said aperture to coverthe front portion (22) of the tubular body; and a strap (12) extendingtransversely to the longitudinal direction and between the first andsecond edges of the aperture, said strap being connectable to thetubular body at the first side and the second side of the aperture in anadjustable manner in order to adjust the spacing between the edges ofthe aperture, wherein said tongue is mounted on an outside surface ofthe strap such that the tongue slides freely and such that the strap issandwiched between the tongue and the tubular body, and wherein thetongue has a shape complementary to a shape of the front portion of thetubular body such that the tongue and the tubular body cooperatetogether to automatically centre the tongue relative to the aperture. 2.The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: locking means(24, 26) provided between the strap and the tubular body, wherein thelocking means are configured to occupy an inactive position in which thelocking means allow the tongue to slide freely on the strap, and anactive position in which the locking means act counter to said sliding,and wherein the locking means are placed in the active position when thetongue is pressed against said front portion.
 3. The assembly accordingto claim 2, wherein the locking means comprise grooves (24) provided inthe strap, and a catch (26) having a shape configured to complement ashape of the grooves in order to engage therein, said catch resilientlyassuming the inactive position in the absence of any external force andforming a protrusion relative to said tongue in a direction of saidfront portion when the catch is in the inactive position.
 4. Theassembly according to claim 3, wherein the catch is produced by mouldingwith the tongue.
 5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the frontportion has a non-circular cross-section, and wherein said tongue has across-sectional shape complementary to a cross-sectional shape of thefront portion.
 6. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein said frontportion has a substantially parabolic cross-section.
 7. The assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein the tongue comprises first and secondplastic components (10 a, 10 b) assembled together, the second plasticcomponent (10 b) provided on the outside surface of the strap (12), andthe first plastic component (10 a) connected to the second plasticcomponent (10 b).
 8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein thetubular body is formed by a rigid boot shell.
 9. The assembly accordingto claim 1, further comprising: at least a second strap (12).
 10. Theassembly according to claim 2, wherein the front portion has anon-circular cross-section, and wherein said tongue has across-sectional shape complementary to a cross-sectional shape of thefront portion.
 11. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein the frontportion has a non-circular cross-section, and wherein said tongue has across-sectional shape complementary to a cross-sectional shape of thefront portion.
 12. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the frontportion has a non-circular cross-section, and wherein said tongue has across-sectional shape complementary to a cross-sectional shape of thefront portion.
 13. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the tonguecomprises first and second plastic components (10 a, 10 b) assembledtogether, the second plastic component (10 b) provided on the outsidesurface of the strap (12), and the first plastic component (10 a)connected to the second plastic component (10 b).
 14. The assemblyaccording to claim 3, wherein the tongue comprises first and secondplastic components (10 a, 10 b) assembled together, the second plasticcomponent (10 b) provided on the outside surface of the strap (12), andthe first plastic component (10 a) connected to the second plasticcomponent (10 b).
 15. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein thetongue comprises first and second plastic components (10 a, 10 b)assembled together, the second plastic component (10 b) provided on theoutside surface of the strap (12), and the first plastic component (10a) connected to the second plastic component (10 b).
 16. The assemblyaccording to claim 5, wherein the tongue comprises first and secondplastic components (10 a, 10 b) assembled together, the second plasticcomponent (10 b) provided on the outside surface of the strap (12), andthe first plastic component (10 a) connected to the second plasticcomponent (10 b).
 17. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein thetongue comprises first and second plastic components (10 a, 10 b)assembled together, the second plastic component (10 b) provided on theoutside surface of the strap (12), and the first plastic component (10a) connected to the second plastic component (10 b).
 18. The assemblyaccording to claim 2, wherein the tubular body is formed by a rigid bootshell.
 19. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein the tubular bodyis formed by a rigid boot shell.
 20. The assembly according to claim 4,wherein the tubular body is formed by a rigid boot shell.